MTA TrainTime vs Subway Time NYC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MTA TrainTime
This app allows railroad customers to buy and use tickets, plan journeys, and track trains in real-time. It offers features like split payments, multi-station trip planning, and real-time GPS tracking for a seamless travel experience.
- Buy and use railroad tickets
- Plan trips with departure times
- Real-time GPS train tracking
- View train car layouts and crowding
- Split ticket payments
- Share trip details
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The TrainTime app provides a one-stop shop for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad customers, where riders can buy and use tickets, plan their trips, track their trains, and more. • Buy tickets with Apple Pay or credit/debit card. Split payment between two cards. • Plan trips with departure times and transfer details before you travel. You can also search for two origin and/or two destination stations at once. • Save your frequent trains for easy access • Share trips with family and friends so they know when to expect you • Follow your trip with real-time GPS tracking, updated every few seconds • See the layout of your train and how crowded each car is • Chat with a customer service representative for either LIRR or Metro-North within the app
Subway Time NYC
Get real-time subway and bus arrival information directly from the MTA feed. Features include home and lock screen widgets, service alerts, live tracking, and offline maps. Supports Apple Watch for convenient access.
- Real-time arrival times
- Home & Lock Screen widgets
- Favorites list
- Service alerts
- Live train/bus tracking
- Offline maps
- Apple Watch support
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Subway Time NYC brings you real-time information about subway and bus arrivals. Features include: • Accurate, up-to-the-minute arrival times from the official MTA feed • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets • Favorites list for quick access • Nearby stations and bus stops • Service alerts: Easily check for delays and service changes • Subway transfers: Quickly compare arrival times when switching trains • Live tracking: See the current location, upcoming stops, and ETAs for any train or bus • Offline maps Plus: • Apple Watch support - view favorite and nearby arrivals from your wrist To contact us, please email help@nycsubwaytime.app EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Includes icons from Icons8.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MTA TrainTime at none against Subway Time NYC's 2. MTA TrainTime also leads on ratings volume (211K vs 14K) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). Subway Time NYC's advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 53%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Subway Time NYC sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. MTA TrainTime asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for MTA TrainTime against 4.8 for Subway Time NYC. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTA TrainTime has 211K ratings behind it against 14K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 53% of MTA TrainTime's written reviews are positive against 82% of Subway Time NYC's.
MTA TrainTime ships an update weekly, Subway Time NYC every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | MTA TrainTime | Subway Time NYC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (211K ratings) — better | 4.8 (14K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.9% of reviews | 82.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 211K — better | 14K |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #15 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Metropolitan Transportation Authority | Rohan Mehta |
Customer experience
MTA TrainTime
Subway Time NYC
User reviews
MTA TrainTime
From 211K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Efficient and easy to use
- 👍 Consolidated app with all features
- 🚅 Accurate real-time train tracking
- 💳 Seamless ticket purchasing
- 📆 Helpful calendar integration
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🕰️ Inconsistent train arrival/departure times
- 🔍 Difficult to find older tickets
- 🔀 Confusing ticket type selection
Subway Time NYC
From 14K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Focused and intuitive
- 🚀 Accurate train times
- 👍 Convenient features like favorites and subway map
- 🚀 Helpful widgets for home screen
Room to improve
- 🐛 Widget not showing live feed
- 🐛 Inaccurate train times in some cases
Bugs and requests
MTA TrainTime
Reported bugs
3 issues- Ticket purchase failures
- Device blocked from purchasing tickets
- Incorrect track information displayed
Requested features
4 requests- Apple Watch support
- Ability to plan trips for future dates
- More detailed crowding/capacity information
- Improved search and filtering options
Subway Time NYC
Reported bugs
2 issues- Train times not updating after a few minutes
- 7 train times not showing
Requested features
2 requests- Add express station indicators
- Show connecting train lines at major stations
In-app purchases
MTA TrainTime
No in-app purchases
Subway Time NYC
- Remove Ads$2.99
- Remove Ads$4.99
Questions
Is MTA TrainTime free?
Is Subway Time NYC free?
Which has better reviews, MTA TrainTime or Subway Time NYC?
Do MTA TrainTime or Subway Time NYC have ads?
Which is updated more often, MTA TrainTime or Subway Time NYC?
Other comparisons
